½teaspoonblack pepperjust enough to lightly coat fillets
½cupDijon mustardSee notes
1stickButtercut into tablespoons; See notes
1cupSmoked almonds, crushed or pulsed in food processor See notes
1Lemongarnish; optional; squeeze lemon juice over cooked fish right before serving
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 200ºF if you're making more than one big fillet (optional)
Pat dry fish with paper towel; lightly season with salt and pepper; use the back of a spoon or spatula and smear Dijon mustard over the top of the fillets (do not put Dijon on the skin side of the fish)
1½ pounds Trout fillets, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup Dijon mustard
Place mustard-coated fillet skin side down into the cold non-stick skillet and turn stove heat to medium heat; cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat until the skin is crisp; flip the fillet
Add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to fillet and sprinkle crushed almonds on the top; cook for 2 minutes; flip the fillet and cook it another 2-3 minutes, until the almonds are lightly toasted and the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145°F
1 stick Butter, 1 cup Smoked almonds
Remove from pan, transfer to a baking dish, tent with foil and place in warm oven; repeat process for the remaining fillets
Plate filets and drizzle fresh lemon juice over the top
1 Lemon
Notes
This recipe is based on 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of trout which serves two peopleAdjust ingredient amounts accordingly if cooking more than two filletsIf the fillet is too big for your skillet, cut it in half or thirds and cook the fish in batchesSkillet and OilIf you're using a non-stick skillet (recommeded), don't add any oil or butter to the skilletIf you're using a well seasoned cast iron skillet, you don't need to add oil or butter to the skillet-but it must be "well-seasoned"Dijon mustardYou may not need 1/2 a cup; just smear it over the top of the fish fillet; use as much or as little as you likeButterJust put about a few 1/2 tablespoons or so of butter on the top of each fillet; I use about 2-4 tablespoons (divided into half) per filletAlmondsMeasure one cup of whole almonds and pulse them in the food processor; this should be enough to lightly coat two large fillets; use more almonds if you're cooking more than two large fillets